INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Karen Bruno and Megan Warren have always shown their commitment to their community. They continued to improve their knowledge and dedication to the Lake Tahoe lifestyle by completing the BEAR League’s response team training last month.
The training took place March 27 in Incline Village, where more than a dozen residents learned to be residential responders and educators for local bear calls. According to the BEAR League, with trained community members responding to calls, the possibility of a bear’s presence escalating into a problematic situation will decrease. In addition to responding to commercial and residential bear calls, Bruno and Warren will be monitoring neighbors and businesses for trash violations.
“We’ve seen too many bears unnecessarily euthanized as a result of human negligence and anger over damaged property,” Warren said. “It just takes some simple steps; locking your car and not leaving food, coolers, anything with scent in a car that can be an attractant. Keeping garbage adequately secured in wildlife resistance-totes or bear boxes, and not leaving first floor doors and windows open are all basic steps to take. It should be part of our daily routine living in Lake Tahoe.”
The Bear League was founded 16 years ago by Ann Bryant. Their goal is to keep the bears safe and wild in their natural habitat by educating the public. They have an extensive network of volunteers and operate a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year hotline.
“The bear-human conflict issue is something we feel can be far better addressed by bear-educated, bear-aware citizens,” Bryant said. “Those that know their neighbors, to be able to respond quickly, and offer more respect. We don’t feel that a state agency, moving in from elsewhere and killing these animals we call our neighbors is acceptable.”
For more information about the BEAR League, or to how to keep property safe from, and to protect the region’s bears, go to www.savebears.org or call 530-525-7297.